


Of Beginnings And Ends

by afteriwake



Series: Lingering Winter [12]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 11:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even as some things start, others must end. That is the cycle of life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Beginnings And Ends

“You care for Lieutenant Kira, Isane, don’t you?”

Isane dropped the bottle she had been holding and turned to face her Captain. “Y…yes,” she said with a nod.

Unohana laughed slightly. “I apologize, Isane. It was not my intent to startle you. I was wondering because he seems to have changed quite a bit in the last few months.”

Isane relaxed slightly. “He has.”

“And I think your influence is behind it.”

“Me? No, he…no,” she said, bending down to pick up the bottle. She was blushing furiously at this point. Her friendship with Kira was something she was used to, but not used to hearing about from others. If it had gotten to the point that her Captain noticed, perhaps she was spending too much time with him. She stood up and put the bottle on the table, still not looking at her Captain.

“I think so, Isane,” she said gently. “He doesn’t seem as…hopeless and sad, as we had all expected him to be after the Winter War.”

“He’s a good man,” she said softly.

“He is,” Unohana agreed. “But he had his vices. No one’s seen him touch a drop of sake in almost six months. And he seems more relaxed, even…happier.” Then she caught the blush on her lieutenant’s face. “I did not mean to embarrass you, Isane.”

“Have I been spending too much time with him?” she asked, looking at her Captain.

She shook her head. “No. I think you spend just enough time with him to be a good friend.”

Isane smiled slightly. “Oh.”

“I’ve said enough. Is the paperwork done?” Unohana asked.

Isane nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you leave early? I’m having a visitor tonight and I would like to get ready for him, and it would not be fair to have you continue to work while I am not.”

Isane smiled. “Is it time for another visit from Isshin?” she asked. He had asked her not to bother with honorifics and simply to call him Isshin. She did, and found that it was more comfortable than getting tongue-tied around someone she deeply respected for his winning of the Winter War and his deep friendship with her mentor.

Unohana nodded and Isane caught a slight blush on her cheeks. “Yes.”

“Would you please tell him I said hello? And to say hello to Yuzu for me?” Isane and Yuzu had spent some time together during their initial visit and every time Isshin visited he took some time to pass along news that Yuzu wanted her to know. In the dark recesses of her mind Isane sometimes wished her own sister acted more like Yuzu, but she liked having both of them in her life.

“I will, and I will pass on any news from her to you tomorrow,” Unohana said with a smile. “You should go now.”

“Thank you,” Isane said before leaving the room. She headed towards her rooms, and then thought about trying to find Kira before remembering that he was visiting with Hisagi and Matsumoto tonight. Slightly saddened, she went to her rooms and began to do something to take her mind off the conversation she’d had with Unohana.

\--

“You’re glowing,” Kira said as he got his first look at Matsumoto, who was at the table, setting three places. “Have you stopped throwing up all the time?”

Matsumoto laughed and pulled her friend into a hug. “Yes. Apparently when I’m in a gigai I don’t have the need to do so, and since we’ve been back it hasn’t happened more than three or four times. Usually when I eat too much too fast.”

Kira hugged her back for a moment and then pulled away. After what had been a hasty marriage Hisagi and Matsumoto had been allowed to leave for two weeks to spend time in the world of the living. They had stayed in Karakura Town, and he had heard that on one occasion Hisagi had to help Rukia with a massive Hollow, but generally they had been able to spend time alone together. They were back now, though, and as far as he knew he was their first visitor in their new quarters.

Hisagi had come back into the kitchen area by then, a grin on his face. “She doesn’t do that very often, though, mostly because she’s not eating things she enjoys.”

Matsumoto made a face. “Captain Unohana has me on a diet, more or less. For the health of the baby. A lot of healthy foods, but nothing in generous portions, really. It’s driving me insane.”

“Which is why you stocked up on that candy you like so much,” Hisagi replied, his grin transforming into a smirk. “So you have something to have when those cravings hit.”

“Yes. And hopefully my stash will stay nice and hidden. I don’t trust young Yachiru very much when it comes to candy,” she replied. “Now, then. How have you been these last two weeks, Izuru?”

“Busy,” he said. Matsumoto motioned for the two men to sit and they did, facing each other. “Your lieutenant has a lot of questions, Shūhei. “

Hisagi shook his head. “He wasn’t my first choice for the position, mostly because he was a terrible third seat. I’m hoping he can grow into the position, because if he doesn’t…”

“Have you been seeing much of Lieutenant Kotetsu these days?” Matsumoto asked.

Kira felt himself blush slightly. “Yes.”

Matsumoto laughed. “You’re blushing! How cute.”

“Don’t tease,” Hisagi said.

She waved her hand slightly. “Me? Tease? Not about something as important as _this_.”

“What makes it so important?” Kira asked.

“You _like_ her,” she said. “And you like her enough to let her influence you. When was the last time you had even a cup of sake?”

“A while,” he said.

“A long while, I’d bet,” she said. “Have you told her you like her yet?”

He looked at her, and then sighed. “No.”

“Then you should tell her,” Matsumoto said with a nod. Then she smiled at her husband. “Sometimes it can lead to very good things.”

“But what if she only likes me as a friend?” he asked.

“I don’t think she likes you as just a friend,” Matsumoto said. “Call it women’s intuition.”

“I wouldn’t argue with her,” Hisagi said. “She’s using the ‘women’s intuition’ line a lot, and most of the time she’s actually right.”

“See?” Matsumoto said triumphantly. “After dinner, you should find her and tell her.” Then she looked over at the two men. “After you wash the dishes, of course. Both of you.”

Kira raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’ve developed a new side to your personality, haven’t you?”

“Well, I’m a wife and I’m going to be a mother soon,” she said with a shrug. “It was to be expected.”

“It’s not that bad, most of the time,” Hisagi said. “Unless she’s in a mood, and then I just do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

Kira smirked at him slightly. “I would say something, but I don’t want either of you to kill me, so I’ll stay quiet.”

“Good idea,” Matsumoto said. “So, shall we eat?”

\--

It wasn’t too late when Kira left. Matsumoto had said she was tired, and before he left she had already gone to lay down. There had been no need to linger. Once he had done the dishes he bade Hisagi a good night and went in search of Isane. He had asked her earlier if he could visit after his dinner with his other friends, and she had said that it was all right for him to do so. Only now…now he was nervous.

He got to her quarters and knocked on the door hesitantly. He waited a few moments but there was no answer. He tried again and waited, but still she didn’t come to the door. After a few minutes he sighed and turned to his left, just in time to see her coming down the hall.

“Izuru!” she said, surprised. “I...I didn’t think you would be here so early. My sister, she asked me to go visit her Captain briefly since he was feeling unwell and Captain Unohana has a visitor,a nd I decided to visit with her for a little while.”

“Matsumoto went to bed early,” he said. “Her husband wanted to be there with her, so there was no reason to linger.”

She smiled slightly. “Dinner went well?”

He nodded. “Yes. It was nice to catch up with them and hear about the two weeks they spent in the world of the living.”

“I would love to be able to do that, to spend two weeks there and not have any duties or worry about anything,” she said with a sigh, though the smile was still on her face. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, thank you,” he said. He moved aside so she could open her door and then he followed her inside. It was dark, and he waited until she got the lamps lit before speaking again. “They asked me about you.”

She froze in what she was doing. “Really?”

“Yes. Matsumoto said I’ve allowed you to influence me.”

“My Captain noted that today as well,” she said, relaxing slightly. She turned to face him. “Is that okay?”

“That you influence me?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He nodded as well, a little more slowly than she had. “I have no problem with that. If I wasn’t open to your influence I would have stopped spending time with you. I’m just grateful I have not had as much influence on you.”

She looked at him surprised. “Why is that?”

“I generally do not have the…well, I’m not happy very often. Or at least I wasn’t. I feel happier now, but at the beginning…” He looked at her. “You may be shy, but you’re a happy person. I would hate to see that go away.”

She smiled at him. “With a friend such as you, I don’t think my happiness would go away.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, looking at the floor.

She frowned slightly. “Izuru? Did I say something wrong?”

“You consider me a good friend?” he asked.

“Yes, very much,” she said with a nod, moving closer to him. “I thought knowing that would make you happy.”

“It does, Isane, but…” He looked up, straight at her, and took a deep breath. “I was wondering if you cared about me as… _more_ than a friend.” She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. She said nothing, and after a moment he let out a defeated sigh and looked down at the ground again. “Forget it. I should go now.”

“No, please don’t.” He looked up and saw she had taken a step closer to him and was now within touching distance. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched the side of his face gently. “I…yes. I care for you very much, as more than just a friend.”

A smile started to form on his face, as he moved just a little closer. “Really?”

She nodded, smiling at him as well. “Yes.”

He reached over to her, mimicking her movement, letting his hand touch her face. She shut her eyes and instincitvly turned her head so that him palm cupped her cheek. “May I kiss you?”

She opened her eyes again and nodded slightly, as she let her hand drop. “Yes.”

He closed the space between then, putting an arm around her waist to keep her close. Then he leaned in, ready to kiss her.

“Isane!” Both of them jumped slightly at the sound of Kiyone at the door. “Isane, he won’t wake up!”

Fear gripped her and she quickly moved away from him to let her sister in. “Kiyone, what’s happened?”

“Captain Ukitake asked us to wake him in an hour and we tried and he won’t wake up!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “We can’t wake him up!”

“Izuru, Captain Unohana is in her quarters with a visitor. Please go get her and tell her what’s going on.” Isane looked at him as he was standing there in shock. “Please, I need you to do this.”

“I’ll go now,” he said, snapping out of it with a nod, going out through the open doorway and rushing towards Unohana’s quarters.

“Kiyone, how did you try to wake him?” she asked, grabbing her medics bag and shutting the door behind her. She began racing alongside her sister to Captain Ukitake’s quarters almost immediately.

“We shook his shoulder,” she said between sobs. “Usually that’s enough to wake him. And then I noticed he was cold and I started screaming and he didn’t wake up. Isane, you have to help him! Please!”

“I will do my best,” she said. Kiyone bit back her tears as they ran towards his quarters. Ukitake had survived the Winter War, but just barely. The damage Wonderweiss had done to his body by basically punching a hole through him had been extensive, and for a month or so afterwards no one was sure if he’d ever heal entirely. It sadly appeared that maybe he had not. But Isane pushed those thoughts out of her head, concentrating on the symptoms he had had when she saw him earlier in the evening.

When they approached his quarters she saw that Kira had found Unohana and Isshin, and both of them were approaching the doorway at the same time that she would get there. “Lieutenant Kira said we were urgently needed for your captains sake,” Unohana said as they all met at the doorway. 

“Captain Ukitake won’t wake up!” Kiyone said, the tears starting again.

Captain Unohana’s eyes widened as Kiyone threw open the door. Sentarou was at his Captain’s bedside, staring in shock. “Isane, please give me your bag.”

“He was sleeping when I left,” Isane whispered, giving her Captain her bag. “Kiyone asked me to take a look at him and I said he was fine and just needed rest. He said his chest had been hurting and that he was coughing more than usual. I told him that tomorrow… tomorrow…”

“Jushiro!” Unohana said, kneeling beside his bed and reaching forward to take his pulse. When she pulled her fingers away slowly she was shaking. She bowed her head for a moment. “There is…there is nothing I can do,” she said quietly. “He is gone.”

Kiyone’s sobs increased in volume, and that broke Sentarou out of his shock as he tended to his co-Lieutenant, showing that for all their arguing they did care about each other. Isshin came over and put his hand on Unohana’s shoulder, his head bowed. She reached up and put her hand over his, gripping it tightly. Kira moved closer to Isane, who turned towards him, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into an embrace and she began to cry quietly into his shoulder as he comforted her.

“I should have gotten my Captain earlier,” she said, her tears wetting the fabric of Kira’s clothes. “She would have been able to save him.”

After a moment she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Unohana had stood up and was right behind her, and Isshin was pulling a sheet over Ukitake’s body. “Isane, I do not think I could have saved him. He was dying. There is no way you could have known.”

“But if I had tried…” she whispered.

Unohana shook her head, and then turned to Kira. “Lieutenant Kira, could you please escort Isane back to her quarters, and stay with her? I think she will need her friend tonight.”

He nodded, keeping Isane close. “I can do that.”

She nodded, and then looked at Isshin. “I know that you were to leave soon, but if you could help me, I would appreciate it.”

“I can stay for a while,” he said. “Captain Ukitake was a friend. Whatever you need me to do I’ll do.”

“Please take care of his Lieutenants,” she said. “I will go find General Yamamoto and inform him of what has happened.”

“I can’t leave him alone!” Kiyone cried out. 

“I won’t leave, either,” Sentarou said.

“I can stay here with them,” Isshin said.

“Very well,” Unohana said with a nod before looking at Kira and Isane. “Lieutenant Kira, please do as I asked.”

He nodded and then gently led Isane back to her quarters, keeping her close the entire time despite the stares of the people who had suddenly materialized in the hallways wondering what the commotion was. When they got to her quarters she opened the door and let them in, moving towards her couch and sinking down onto it. He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Do you need me to stay here with you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said quietly, tears still slipping down her face.

“You should lay down,” he said. “I’ll lay down next to you.”

They shifted positions on the couch, and she curled up into him as he rubbed her back, letting her cry into his chest. He knew how guilt felt, how it could eat you up inside. And he knew that for as long as she needed him, he would be there for her, in any way she needed him. For now, though, he could only try and offer comfort, and simply wait.


End file.
